Now Boarding
by ShutterBug2003
Summary: I stared at the flurry of activity of the airport around me. Everywhere I looked loved ones embraced. Husbands and wives, parents and children, friends and lovers. All saying farewell to each other for an indefinite length of time. Long. Short. It didn't matter. Goodbyes were hard for everyone- unless you wanted to be gone. Unless you were me.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Sang! Where are you? Get your lousy... ." Her angry words trailed off to unintelligible mumbling. My locked bedroom door refused to keep out the hung over ramblings of my step-mother at bay. I I jerked up in bed. Immediately I panicked, on high alert. What did I do this time? Mentally, I ran through the past few hours. There wasn't anything I could think of that might have set her off. Again, what had I done? Really, I knew the answer to that… nothing. I never did anything to deserve her bitter hatred and insufferable torture. Well, that's not true. I was born and though totally beyond my control, I guess that was enough to warrant her punishments- which she so lovingly handed out on a rather consistent basis these days. Kneeling in rice? Done it. Sitting on hard wooden stools for hours on end? Been there, more than once. Holding up pitchers of water? Check. Standing until I collapse? Yup, done that too. Recently, she's decided to up the ante. What used to only be debasing methods of breaking my spirit, you know things like what I mentioned before, had turned into rage filled bouts of violence that left me bruised, bloody and broken. More than once I've literally had to crawl up the stairs to seek refuge in my room.

Mommy Dearest's latest had given me more boot sized bruises than I could count, a bloody nose and what I'm sure is, at the least, three cracked ribs. Though I wouldn't know for certain. Doctor appointments and ER visits are out of the question. I'm guessing about the extent of my injuries based purely on the amount of pain involved, and that's a lot. A whole, whole lot.

Carefully, I eased myself back in bed. It sounded like my step-mother had fallen back asleep, which meant that I could try to catch a few more hours of sleep until I had to start this torment all over again. I sighed and slammed my fists onto the comforter around me. Things were getting so much worse than they used to be. She drank and overdosed on her pain pills on a fairly regular basis these days. Something had to have sparked this behavior in her. It surely wasn't anything that I had done. As a general rule, I only spoke when spoken to and kept to the shadows in every aspect of my life. I was invisible, and I preferred it that way. So what was it? There was only one thing that I could think of.

It's been nearly two weeks since we last heard from my father. Even longer still since he left on a 'business trip' to Mexico with his blonde, bombshell secretary Kymberlee. I'm guessing all totaled, it's been almost a month since anyone around here has seen him. Step-Mom was pretty dependent on him for nearly everything. She no longer worked due to a disabling car accident that broke her back nearly three years ago. She's been popping pills and drowning her sorrows ever since. Leaving her room only to visit the doctor, restock supplies and dish out the occasional beating. Needless to say, I prayed she remained holed up in her room, submerged under her dingy bedding, flipping through talk shows and soap operas by day and infomercials by night.

I gazed out my windows, trying to lose myself amongst the stars. Willing myself to anywhere but here. So far, it wasn't working out to well. I could still feel my crappy mattress cradling my sore body. As my eyelids began to droop, I heard the jangling on my doorknob. It's in situations like this where I'm so glad I had the forethought to start locking my door. I sucked in a deep breath, not wanting to disturb the noises of my wannabe intruder. Past experience had taught me to not be caught unaware. The distinct click of the lock releasing told me that I could relax… a little.

Marie peeked her head through the doorway, into my darkened room. "Psssssttt, Sang! Are you awake?" She paused, giving me time to answer- which I didn't. "Sang?! Wake up!" Her persistence told me that she was in need of something. Marie would never talk to or check up on me for no reason. If I wanted peace, then I had no choice but to respond.

"What do you want, Marie?" I hoped that she could hear the irritation in my voice, because I was trying to make it real obvious. "I'm not covering for you again, so don't ask."

Marie gave me one of those pi-shaw noises that teenagers are so prone to. "No, Sang." She was talking to me as if I were an idiot. "I just wanted to snag a few bills from you." For someone who wanted something, Marie was sure being rude. "Danielle and I are hitting up Shimmy's for a little fun, and I need something for the cab. Do you have anything?" She couldn't see, but I rolled my eyes at her desperation. Danielle was a girl who lived down the street and had so kindly taken Marie under her wing, teaching her all the finer ways of teenage debauchery. Drinking, partying, clubbing (which was where they were apparently headed tonight), drugs and sleeping around with the who's who of our High School sports teams were all a possibility when Danielle was involved.

"Sorry, I spent the last of my money on lunch today. Really, I wish I could help but I'm broke." It was a lie, but she didn't need to know that. Marie wasn't happy with my news. "Ugh! Now what?! I'm supposed to be meeting Danielle at the corner in 5, Sang." I muffled a groan with my pillow. How was this my problem? I just wanted her to leave so I could get some peace and quiet

This time I huffed aloud, hoping to convey just how put out I was feeling about this whole situation. "Just a sec. Maybe I have a five." Grudgingly, I rolled out of bed and went to my pretend hidden stash. This was just the decoy supply. Marie frequently scavenged my room for anything she deemed desirable or useful. Usually this meant cash. If I kept a small amount hidden in an obvious place, then she was less likely to go looking in other places throughout my things. Like the actual location of my stockpile of emergency bills. So far over the years, I'd amassed nearly a thousand dollars doing odd jobs for neighbors, babysitting and the small, irregular amounts that Dear Ol' Dad gave us in allowance.

I reached up on my bookshelf and pulled out the old book I'd hollowed out to serve as a hidden safe, of sorts. I feigned secrecy, quickly pulling out the book and using myself as a screen between Marie and the book. I plucked out a five dollar bill, and slipped the book back into place. "Here, this is all I have, sorry." She snatched it out of my hand faster than I would have thought possible, turning out of my room and tossing a "Thanks" over her shoulder as she left. Quietly, I shut my bedroom door, clicking the lock into place. Finally, she was gone. Maybe now I could get some sleep. Tomorrow I had an all-day babysitting gig for the Walkers down the street. I had to be there by seven a.m. and was going to be watching their toddler twin boys, and 6 year old daughter well passed their (and my) bedtime. Most teenagers would detest the thought of such work, but I was thrilled and I couldn't stop the grin that plastered across my face. After tomorrow, I would finally have enough money to put my plan into action. In less than two days, I would be free.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Wearily, I trudged my way down the darkened street headed home from the Walker's. It was nearing one am on Sunday morning and I was spent. It doesn't matter what a kid looks like, cute doesn't make up for hellion. As I made my way up the driveway towards the front door, I couldn't help but pause to take in the blackened windows. Chances were dark windows meant all was well in the Sorenson household. It was safe to enter… hopefully. I crossed my fingers just in case.

As stealthily as possible, I slinked through the front door and tip toed my way towards the kitchen, hoping to snag something to take with me up to my bedroom. With my head stuck in the refrigerator, I was unaware of the presence behind me. Before I could even comprehend what was happening, I found myself being thrown to the side, my body smashing into the counter and crumpling to the floor. What in the heck was that? Pain flared to life on my right side as I sat myself up on the floor. I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't good for my cracked ribs. I blinked through the tears that were starting to form, and noticed the over bearing form of my Step-Mother, through the dark. Dread overwhelmed me. This could not be good.

"Mo-" My words were interrupted by a stinging slap that sent my head backwards into the cupboard. Blood filled my mouth and stars distorted my vision. My thoughts began to race. I had to get out of here, now. Instinctually, I brought up my hands to cover my face in some semblance of self-defense.

"Shut up! Just. SHUT UP!" She was hysterical. What happened today? Obviously, I had missed some important goings on. "You've ruined everything! This is ALL your fault, you selfish brat!" Mommy Dearest continued with her tirade. I was smart and just kept my mouth shut. Speaking now would only make things worse. She began to pace back and forth across the kitchen, swinging her arms and muttering and carrying on about who knew what. Slowly, I inched my way toward the hall while she wasn't paying attention.

"Where in the hell do you think you're going, you little whore?!" Apparently she was paying more attention to me than I thought. I stuttered out my response as I stood up, "N-n-nowhere, Mother." She hated it when I called her Step-Mother.

"Don't lie to me you little piece of shit!" She came at me like an enraged bull, nostrils flaring and eyes fuming. I noticed her hands balling and was a fraction too slow in dodging her left hook. My vision flashed white for just a moment before everything came blaring back into focus. My ears were ringing and my face felt like it was on fire. Step-Monster looked like she was winding up for another shot and I wasn't going to let that happen. I brought my hands up, ready to soften a blow or push her away if needs be. Honestly and truly, I didn't want to hurt her if I didn't have to. I knew that she wasn't entirely in her right mind, but I also didn't want to die. Not today anyways.

With rapid speed she grabbed a pot off of the stove. Marie didn't clean up after herself, again and now I was going to pay the price for her laziness, again. With wild abandon, Mother started waving the pot around claiming, once again, that 'it was all my fault'. What was my fault? I seriously didn't understand what was going on. I'd been out of the house all day. She shouldn't be freaking out on my like this. "He left us, all because of you! He ran off with that harlot of a secretary and he's not coming back!" She swung the pot toward my head. Luckily I was able to duck in the nick of time. The roar of anger that flew from her mouth would have been impressive had it not been directed at me.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry! What do you want to do?" My voice refused to cooperate. I lifted my hands out to my sides, palms up in a show of surrender. Maybe she would take some pity on me when she saw that I was defenseless.

"SHUUUTTTT UUUPPPP!" Eyes and veins bulging, beet red, and spittle flying. I'd never seen anything so horrifically scary in my life. I wouldn't have been able to speak if I would have wanted to. For lack of a better phrase, I was scared stupid. I didn't know what to do. Anything I did or said at this point was only going to make her even madder.

Physically frozen in terror, mentally I screamed at myself to move. Before I could second guess my decision, I turned and bolted for the stairway. I was running for my life and concentrating solely on reaching my room where I could lock and barricade the door. It wasn't until I felt my ankle being jerked out from under me and saw the stairs approaching my face at an alarming rate that I realized my Step-Mother was right behind me. I could feel her fingernails clawing into my calf muscle and I knew that she had drawn blood. Blindly I kicked out, my foot meeting skin. When I heard her muffled shout of surprise and felt her grip on my leg slacken, I didn't look back to check how she was. I counted my blessings and scrambled the rest of the way up the stairs, and darted into my room, slamming and locking the door behind me.

With my back pressed against the door for added leverage, my eyes darted around the room. Mentally tabulating all the things I needed to grab before I started my escape a day sooner than planned. Oh well, there's no time like the present and I couldn't stay here another day, that much was clear.

Hastily, I snatched up my school bag and dumped out all my books and folders. Graduation was only a couple weeks away and I was at the top of my class. I wouldn't be needing any of my school things after today and I didn't have another bag. It was going to have to work until I could buy something better. I leapt toward my closet, flinging drawers open in my rush. I didn't really stop to look at what I was grabbing. A few pairs of underwear, a pair of jeans, an extra bra and a few random tee shirts was all I had room for. I jerked on my favorite pink hoodie over the lace tank and cut off shorts I was currently wearing. Luckily I hadn't taken off my slip on sneakers. The entire time I scrambled around my room, I was keeping an ear out for any movement on the stairway. So far so good, I didn't hear Psycho Step-Mom stirring.

After grabbing a hair brush, a toothbrush, both my fake and real hidden stash of cash and my wallet, I was good to go. I took a deep breathe to calm my frazzled nerves and slow my racing heart. This was really happening. I stood in front of my door, giving my room a final once over. I think I had everything, and if I didn't, it wasn't that important. Grabbing my favorite knit cap and my sunglasses to cover my sure to be black eyes, I yanked open my door, and tiptoed towards the top of the stairs. Tentatively, I peeked around the corner, releasing a small squeak when I saw that my Step-Mother hadn't moved. I hope she was only unconscious because I wasn't stopping to check otherwise. Steeling myself, I counted to three and then bolted down the stairs, leaping over her prone form near the bottom. Dashing out the door and running down the drive, I never looked back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Later that same morning found me huddled in the back corner of the city bus, headed to nowhere. Resting my head on my knees, I contemplated my next move. The adrenaline of earlier this morning had long ago worn off. I was exhausted. I needed a shower and I needed to think. As much as I had thought out and prepared myself for leaving my house, I hadn't thought passed where I would actually end up.

What had I done.? I hadn't made any 'after' plans. I was so concerned with just getting out that I hadn't really taken care to firm up some very important details. You know, like where the heck I'm headed. I groaned internally, beating my forehead into my knees. This was just the sort of impulsive thing I would do, jumping into action without thinking about the consequences. Typical Sang. I wanted to kick myself.

Coming full circle on his route, the more than generous driver looked back at me through his rearview mirror. I could feel his eyes burning into me. Timidly, I met his gaze.

"It's the end of my shift, sweetie. I don't know if the next guy is going to let you ride around with him all day. Is there anywhere I can drop you off? There isn't _anyone_ waiting for you at home?" Ha! Now that was funny. Someone waiting for me at home? I _wish_ someone at home cared whether I was there or not.

"Can I ask you a question, Mark?" I'd gotten to know the man after driving around with him over the past several hours. "Shoot." was his blasé response.

"Where would you go, if you didn't know where to go?" Mark seemed to take my question seriously and I watched as his brow furrowed in thought. "Hmmmm…. Well, I suppose I'd go somewhere that could take me anywhere." My head snapped up, our eyes meeting, smiles breaking over both our faces in tandem. He was brilliant!

"So, I'll ask you again, Miss Sang is there anywhere I can drop you off?"

I smiled conspiratorially, "Definitely, but first… I need to make a quick stop."

Mark chuckled. "Your wish, is my command."

Twenty minutes later, after some sage advice from Mark and a heartfelt goodbye, I was stepping off the city bus and walking through the doors of a local superstore. There were a few things that I needed to pick up.

Several articles of clothing, a pair of sandals, a bright pink carry-on size suitcase, and an elaborate hygiene kit later I was making my way onto another of our city's finest public transportation. On my way to my new destination I shuffled all of my belongings into my new bag. I could honestly say that I was finally looking forward to my new future.

As the bus pulled away from the stop and headed north to the outskirts of the city, my heart started to pick up its pace. This was really happening. I was doing this. My life, from here on out would never be the same. I still didn't know where exactly I was headed but I had a direction, and that was the Charleston International Airport.

After stepping off the bus and walking through the doors of the airport, I was clueless as to what to do next. Though proud of getting myself this far, I was sorely disappointed that I suddenly seemed to be so incompetent. Okay Sang, time to put on your big girl panties. Hike those babies up, march your behind in there and make a decision. This is your life, grab the wheel and drive. Taking a deep breath for courage, I gripped my bag tighter and marched myself to the nearest customer line. By the looks of it, I had about eighteen or so people until I had to finalize my plans.

My musings were interrupted by a rambunctious group of guys that shoved their way into line behind me. Their banter and teasing made me smile. Because they were behind me, I couldn't outright stare but it was fun to listen to them interact with each other. It was obvious that they were close friends and that they cared for one another but were comfortable and secure enough in their relationships that they could joke and poke fun. It made me wonder what all I had been missing out on in my life. I didn't have friends, never really had any from the start. Having friends meant that I would have to force my way out of the shadows and that was not something I was comfortable with.

"Oy! Kota, Nathan! Over here!" One of the more exuberant of the bunch shouted across the airport waving his arms wildly, evidently locating a missing duo of their group. "Where in the hell have you guys been?" The stragglers joined their friends to a chorus of laughter and many hugs and fist bumps from the others. Though I wasn't even a member of their party, my face heated. More than a few people had turned to look at the rowdy assembly behind me and I was caught in the crosshairs. Luckily it was my turn at the counter and I was able to distance myself from the clamor.

Stepping in front of the smiling attendant, I steeled myself for what was about to happen. "Good morning. Can I have your ticket and ID please?" Gulp. Here goes nothing.

"Well, you see…." Her face faltered. "I haven't exactly got a ticket yet. Is that a problem?" My face flamed, signaling to the world my extreme embarrassment.

The attendant, I glanced at her nametag, Megan, cleared her throat. "No, that isn't a problem at all. Where are you headed?" I nearly released a nervous giggle with that question. "Ummm… I don't really know. Anywhere." I threw caution to the wind and decided to put my fate in her hands, or the hands of the airlines schedule rather. "What's the next departing flight? I don't care where it's headed." Megan stared at me a little slack-jawed for a minute. I'm sure trying to decide if I was being serious or not. When she realized I was being genuine, she started clicking away on her keyboard. Her eyes darted back and forth across the screen before they lifted and met me with a wary gaze.

"The next flight going out that I feel comfortable booking for you leaves in about eighty minutes. This gives you plenty of time to clear security and make it to the gate and maybe even give you enough time to grab something to eat. Does that sound ok?" She seemed nervous, and I didn't know why. I'm sure she knew where she was sleeping tonight. What did she have to worry about?

"I'll take it. How much?" I reached into my new back and grabbed my wallet and ID, handing everything over as she spoke. "Ummm… $286.77 total including taxes. Did you even want to know where you're heading?"

"Nope. I trust you." I tried to make my voice sound as convincing as my smile looked. I hoped it was working. By the look on her face, I don't think it was. Oh well, I'd never see her again. She arranged everything on her end, asking me all the precautionary questions and asked about me needing to check a bag. I just shook my head and smiled. Megan handed back my ID and change along with my ticket, pointing me in the direction of the nearest security checkpoint. As I turned from the counter, I chanced a peek at the group of boys that had been behind me and I noticed more than one pair of eyes and smiles were on me. Instantly my face flushed and I ducked my head, nearly sprinting towards security.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

After slipping back into my shoes and pulling on my hoodie, I grabbed my bag and pocketed my ID and ticket. I still hadn't even bothered to check out my flight detail. Did it really matter? Megan had told me that I had nearly 80 minutes before take-off and there were some things I needed to take care of before heading towards my gate… whichever once that was. I took a deep breath and blew it out in a huff. I was starting the first day of the rest of my life. It was a daunting realization and I wanted to be ready… but I didn't know if I was. This entire situation had been pretty much forced upon me, but from here on out I was in control. As intimidating as it was, I was glad for it. Things were going to change. My life would never be the same again and I felt the truth of those words settle deep into my bones, causing a shiver to make its way down my body.

I was knocked out of my thoughts and into the present by a rather large and unbelievably hard body that had slammed into my back, knocking my bag from my grip. I'd like to think that on any other day it wouldn't have hurt- much, but in my slightly battered state, I was seeing stars. Before I could register the fact that I was careening rather rapidly towards the floor, a pair of strong arms had wrapped themselves around my waist and set me back on my feet. Capable hands gripped my waist, squeezing me slightly as if checking to make sure I was properly balanced before they slowly released me.

"Holy shit, North! What are you doing? Trying to kill the poor girl!?" Deep chuckles followed the light-hearted jibe. "Yeah man. There are much safer ways of introducing yourself." Roars of laughter followed that shot and I wanted to die of embarrassment. Slowly, I turned around to apologize for my dawdling and came face to, er… chest with my rescuer, for lack of a better word. Instantly, my cheeks reddened as I stuttered out my contrition.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention. It was all my fault. Are you ok? I didn't hurt you did I?" I nibbled my bottom lip to stop the tumble of words. I gazed at my shoes, refusing to look up and meet the pair of eyes I knew were staring me down. I was absolutely mortified and his friends didn't realize it, but their calling attention to my awkwardness was making things worse. I needed to get out of here.

A long, strong finger caught me under the chin and forced my gaze to meet his. As my eyes climbed up his body I took in every detail. North, if I could trust his friends, was big and covered head to toe in black. Standing nearly two heads above me, he was wide, in a very good way, and covered in muscle. Definitely all male. He had tan skin and a broad, strong jaw. He had dark hair and I noticed a gold hoop in his left ear. North was a bad boy, or at least pretended to be. Dark, thick brows framed dark brown eyes. He was gorgeous, but intimidating. Very 'Fallen Angel" and not someone I would want to meet in a dark alley at night. He sucked in a breath and I saw that he'd noticed the bruising around my eyes. I must look like a wreck, and I cringed internally knowing what I must look like. His finger left my chin and lightly traced the edges of my cheek.

"No." His deep voice rumbled through me. "It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going." His eyes roamed my face, and it was nearly a tangible thing. "Are _you_ ok?" He wasn't referring to our collision; North was asking me about my black eyes, and red cheek. Possibly he'd noticed the ugly scabs that stripped the back of my right calf muscle. North wasn't asking me if he'd hurt me, he was asking me if I was safe from whatever had happened to me before.

His obvious concern had choked me up. It wasn't something I was prepared for. North didn't know me, we were complete strangers. Why would he worry about me? I was no one. I nodded my head to let him know that I was fine and he dropped his hand back to his side. Instantly, I missed his touch. He grunted in response. "Good."

North bent over and picked up my bag, handing it over to me as he spoke again. "Take care of yourself, sweetheart. Be safe, ok?" His words were soft and sincere and I knew, I just knew, that he understood where I had come from, what I had been through. Too overwhelmed to speak, I nodded my head again before turning and quickly making my way towards the nearest restroom, feeling more and more lonely the further away from North that I got.

In the bathroom, I took several minutes to regroup. North had unsettled me- made me feel vulnerable, in a way I'd never felt before. It wasn't bad… just different. He didn't even know my name, but the words he said, and the way that he said them told me that he knew me. That he understood me, sympathized with me. It was slightly unnerving.

Taking a look in the mirror, I groaned at what I saw. Truly, I was a mess. My eyes were bruised, but they could have been worse. My left cheek had a large pink spot on it from where Step-Mother had slapped me earlier this morning. How had I made it past security? Yikes. I looked terrible. I scrubbed my face with my palms and dug a few essentials from my bag. I took of my knit cap and pulled my hair out of the loose messy bun I'd had it in. I blew my bangs up in irritated indecision. Where to start? Well, it wouldn't hurt to brush my teeth. It always seemed to help clear my head. I started there and then worked my way to washing my face and applying some light concealer around my black and blue eyes. A shower could wait until I reached… well, wherever, but until then, I used some baby wipes to give myself a sort of spit bath. I hurried and cleaned out a few key areas in the bathroom stall, changed my underwear and then returned to the counter, refreshed my deodorant and put on a new shirt. I brushed out my dark blonde hair, deciding to leave it down this time and replaced my favorite hoody and trusty knit cap. For some reason, it helped me feel a little more invisible and that's just what I wanted.

I decided that I needed to figure out where I was headed and see what time I needed to be at my gate. It had been a while since I'd even looked at a clock, or eaten. What time was it anyway? My grumbling tummy said it was time to eat. Stopping to grab something at the nearest sandwich eatery, I pulled out my ticket as I waited for my order and tried to ignore the thundering in my chest. I almost didn't want to look at my destination. For some reason it made everything so much more real. With slight trepidation, I looked over my ticket. Departure time 10:33 am from gate C12. Destination: Jacksonville, Florida. Taking a moment to absorb the information, I encouraged my heartbeat to decelerate and my breathing to even out. Jacksonville, Florida. It wasn't nearly as far as I thought I would have been going but I could do this. The possibilities were endless. My new life waited for me in Jacksonville. A smile broke out across my face. This was happening.

My name was called at the counter and my smile must have thrown off the gentleman working the counter. "A-a-are you…" He shook his head and checked the ticket again, "Sang?" With my confirming nod, he slid my sandwich and drink toward me, which I snatched up gratefully. "Thanks." I threw over my shoulder as I hurried toward my gate.

I made it gate C12 with about forty five minutes to spare. I scoped out a seat that was sort of in a back hidden corner and made my way over to claim my spot. Once I sat down I pulled my knees up and unwrapped my lunch. Before I had even taken my first bite, I heard them. The waiting area was fairly quiet, and there weren't many travelers this morning. There were a couple of college age boys a few rows away and that was about it. Their light hearted banter traveled up and down the airport, and it was unmistakable. I set my sandwich down on the seat next to me, and watched the group of boys as they made their way down the terminal. There were only 15 gates on the C terminal and they were already by C10 and advancing. Butterflies took flight in my belly. Where were they going? Could they be headed in the same direction I was? Did I want that? … I think that maybe I did.

I wanted a chance to further observe their group dynamic. They were obviously a close knit group and cared for one another. I had never had friends, let alone a close friend or a best friend even. It surprised me how eager I was to see them interact with one another. Listening to them tease and goof around in the ticket line had been fun; I craved a repeat performance. And it appeared I was going to get my wish.

"Oy! Mr. B!" One of the more boisterous guys of the group waved to one of the college guys that I had passed on the way to my seat. His shout grabbed the attention of the rest of them and they all joined in their friends greeting and headed towards this Mr. B person and his companion. Not only was I going to get my wish, it seemed that I was going to get to see everything up close and personal.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I continued to watch the group of boys as they quieted down and settled themselves amongst the rows of seats, focusing themselves around the two older boys. It seemed that they were, for whatever reason, the leaders or figureheads of their little group. What were they, a boy scouting group? A college elective class of some sort? Including the leaders there were… nine altogether.

They were such an eclectic group with varying looks and styles. Dark hair, light hair, short and long- even one with multi-colored hair (he was the one who had shouted before). They ranged in heights from tall to even taller and everywhere in between. Body types ranged from heavily muscled and giant, like North and the boy he sat beside to, to lean but athletic. Not a pudgy or overweight boy in the bunch. It was impressive. Very impressive. Two of them had glasses, looking a little Clark Kent-ish- nerdy but still athletic and gorgeous. Something about them shouted leadership. It was in the way they sat and talked, and observed the group around them. Responsibility ran deep in their blood.

Happy-go-lucky jokesters to burly, surly and serious, this group had them all. Several were the 'boys next door' type- sweet, strait laced, clean cut and amazingly gorgeous. North was the obvious bad boy of the group and strong and silent was the one sitting next to him. The one with multi-colored hair (chin length brown hair with two strips dyed blonde in front) had more of a 'punk' look. Each ear was pierced, and his right ear had three hoops on top, and each hand held several rings. His shirt was an awesome bright orange. He looked like fun. Blonde hair, brown hair, reddish-brown and near black. My eyes continued to rove over the group, drinking in their easy camaraderie and steadfast friendship. This group had been close for many years, and had experienced many things together- both good and bad. Theirs was a bond that couldn't be broken by anything other than their choice alone.

North peeked up and caught me staring. I was mortified to have been discovered, and blood rushed to my cheeks. North just smirked and winked at me, returning to his conversation as if nothing had happened. Not wanting that to happen again, I decided I should try to eat my lunch and just mind my own business- it wasn't an easy thing to do. Constantly, I found my eyes wandering toward that charismatic group without my permission.

"Attention ladies and gentleman, may I please have your attention. We are sorry to report that flight 677 to Jacksonville, Florida will be delayed this morning. A mechanical malfunction was discovered during the safety check." The group of boys groaned, and I nibbled on my bottom lip to try and hide my grin. The attendant continued, "The airline does apologize and we are doing everything we can to get this flight back on track as promptly, and safely as possible. Please come to the desk if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your understanding." Mumbled complaints and sounds of irritation and frustration continued to make their way from my (my?) group of boys. It was actually quite adorable how they appeared so eager for their trip.

Mr. B had gotten up after the announcement to talk with the attendant. He had been the only one. It was odd how empty the gate was. Just me and my boys… I smirked at that thought. I hadn't even spoken to them and I was possessive already. I wonder what I would feel if I actually had the opportunity to get to know them? I didn't even want to humor that thought because I wanted to know them, desperately. But when was that going to happen? When we hit Jacksonville, they would continue on their way and where would I be? Other than alone, I still didn't know.

Suddenly depressed, I set down my sandwich and curled into a ball, while sitting on the seat. I wrapped myself up in an effort to provide some sort of comfort. It wasn't working. I struggled not to cry but a traitor tear escaped without my consent. Was I doomed to spend the rest of my life utterly and hopelessly alone?

"Hey." A deep baritone interrupted my turbulent thoughts. I felt the bench dip a little at my right with his added weight. "Are you ok?" My head jerked up with his question. I knew it was North before I looked. I would recognize that voice anywhere, but I was surprised that he cared enough to come over and ask. Why would I even matter? I nodded my head again… I felt like a broken record around him but North just smirked and said, "Good." I think he was poking fun at me but I wasn't one hundred percent sure. I smiled thinking that he might feel comfortable enough to tease me. "There, that's what I wanted to see." My gaze slid to his. "Beautiful, just beautiful." North whispered the words as he traced my cheek with his finger. I noticed that his group of friends had gone quiet and I turned from North to look over and see what had happened. Apparently they were curious about North approaching me because when my eyes fell onto his group, each and every one of them were watching the two of us. My face heated in embarrassment, again… always again. North chuckled next to me. "Don't worry, they're just jealous that I made it over here first." My head snapped back to stare at him in incredulity. "True story, sweetheart." I let out a rather un-lady like sound with his confession. Unexpectedly, North stood up and reached his hand down to me. "Come on, Beautiful. Come sit with us. We're gonna' be here awhile."

Their chatter was drowned out with our approach. As I stood there waiting for a clue as what to do, my finger made its way to worry my bottom lip. Were they expecting me to say something? If they were, we would be here for a long time. That was way out of my comfort zone. North cleared his throat, I wasn't really sure why. They were all looking at us, he had their attention.

"Guys, this is…" He stopped crossed his arms over his broad chest and looked at me, raising an eyebrow. North couldn't tell them who I was because I'd never given him my name. Strange, it felt like North knew so much about me that my name would have had to been included in that vital information. Gently, North put his left hand on my lower back, encouraging me to introduce myself.

Oh crap. I hope I didn't wet myself. Nine unbelievably gorgeous… let's just be honest here… men were all looking at me as if I had the answers to the universe. It seemed like they were collectively holding their breath, waiting for my answer. Clearing my throat, I gathered my wits and squeaked out, "Hi, my name's Sang." I even managed to include a dorky little wave. Nice one, Sang. If any of them were handing out cool points, yours just all got taken away. Grrr! Why was I so awkward?!

A chorus of 'Hellos' and 'Hi Sangs" rang out amongst the group. Their exuberance caused me to blush. A nervous giggle made escaped my lips, and several of the boys started to giggle too. "Oy! Sang. Come sit over here, by me." The boy with all the piercings tapped the empty seat next to him. I looked up at North and he smiled at me, telling me without words to go ahead. North set my bag down as I made my way through the obstacle of bags, backpacks and the occasional body. Hesitantly, I sat down and smiled at… whoever he was. "Hey, Sang. I'm Gabriel, and the only name or person you need to worry about out of the bunch." His smile was angelic and right away I knew we could be the best of friends if given the opportunity. Several voices protested playfully.

"No way, Sang. Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about." Mr. Abercrombie model was laughing as he countered while karate-chopping Gabriel in the head. Gabriel just laughed good-naturedly, obviously used to this type of banter.

"Sang's a smart girl. She'll figure it out all on her own. Won't you sweetheart?" Gabriel reached his left arm out and wrapped it around my shoulder, squeezing me into his side. He smelled divine. When I looked at him, Gabriel's bright blue eyes were shinning mischievously, like he knew something that I didn't. Shyly I returned his smile with one of my own and I was rewarded with a wink of his gorgeous blue eyes.

"Whatever, you ass." Mr. Abercrombie reached around Gabriel's right side and held his hand out to me. "Hi, Sang. I'm Lucian, but all my friends call me Luke. You should, too." I leaned forward to shake his hand, but Luke had other plans. When our palms met, he turned my hand and brought it to his lips, placing a sweet kiss on my knuckles. It was the first time that I could remember anyone had ever kissed me… aside from my own father when I was a little girl, that is. He wiggled his eyebrows at me to lighten the mood, making me giggle again. Luke had nearly shoulder length blonde hair, and pale skin. Model-like high cheekbones, striking brown eyes and a strong chin.- why wasn't his face on the cover of a magazine somewhere? After Luke, the introductions continued around the circle.

Nathan, the All-American had reddish-brown hair that was cut short. His voice was deep and soothing. Serious blue eyes stared into mine and I just knew he saw things in me that I wasn't ready to reveal. Nathan had an angled chin and a strong jaw. His shoulders were broad and his muscles prominent. He definitely worked hard for those and it showed. He radiated power and strength but I could see there was a soft side to him. Something he would give to the right person.

On Nathan's right was Victor. Something about him seemed familiar, but I wasn't quite sure what it was. He was very clean cut, very boy next door. His wide, brown eyes held a fire within them, speaking of his passion and spirit. Victor was quiet, but contemplative… calculating. His soft brown hair was wavy and nearly reached the nape of his neck. Victor's face was angular, and beautiful. I wanted to touch his soft lips. He watched me as I observed him, rubbing his chin with his long, lean fingers. The next boy spoke up before I could feel embarrassed once again.

The seat next to Victor was piled with bags, and across the aisle from that seat (the farthest seat away from mine) was Dakota, or Kota as he was asked me to call him. Kota was Clark Kent number one. Black rimmed glasses framed his emerald green eyes. Thin, but strong eyebrows and light brown hair that barely reached the tips of his ears. Fair skin, high cheekbones and a smooth, masculine voice. These boys were trying to kill me, I was sure of it. Gorgeous… every single one of them. Kota seemed to be the one the younger boys deferred to. He wasn't quite the boss of the group, but close. Kota's cool confidence and commanding presence told me that he was used to telling people what to do and expected them to listen when he did.

Mr. B, was next, or Mr. Owen Blackbourne rather. All the boys called him Mr. Blackbourne, or Mr. B and I found that the formal address suited him. Black rimmed glasses similar to Kota's said that Mr. B was that he was the second Clark Kent of the group, but something told me that he was actually the number one guy around here. Mr. Blackbourne was the leader of this eclectic little group. He said jump and they asked how hi. It was something in his calm assurance; he held himself in a way that told me he knew no failure. Owen had steel gray eyes; they were watchful and missed nothing. Smooth pale skin, soft brown hair that was cut attractively short. His strong, angular face was the thing statues were modeled after. His demeanor had been all business, but when he introduced himself, the corner of his lips raised up a millimeter in a smile that threatened to bring me to my knees. I knew that my goal would be to see him smile again, and I would do anything possible to make it happen.

Next to Mr. Blackbourne, and a seat closer to my own, was Dr. Sean Green- the other college age boy, er- man. The 'Doctor' title completely threw me off. He was so young to hold a doctorate and I figured that it must be in something like English or Art. No way could he be an actual heart surgeon or someone like that… it didn't seem right, or possible. Sean had sandy brown blonde hair that fell in gentle curls to the middle of his ear. His green eyes were dazzling in nature and spoke volumes of the kind-hearted, fun-loving person that lay beneath. His heart shape faced was angelic. He radiated care and kindness and all things good. Like all the others, he was very fit and the clothing he wore did nothing to hide his tapered shoulders and trim, but fit body. What was in the water these boys drank!?

Another seat piled with bags, and then there was Silas sitting kitty-corner in the chair from mine. I didn't think it was possible, but Silas was even bigger than North. Seriously, he was huge. His deep black hair, dark soulful eyes, thick, dark brows, thick lips and olive skin would have told me that he was of a foreign origin, if his accent hadn't. I was thinking somewhere European… Mediterranean perhaps, but I wasn't completely sure. Silas had a firm, square jaw, broad shoulders and was built solidly of muscle that screamed raw power. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days and that only added to his overall imposing look. It was very appealing. He was quiet and something told me that Silas thought about what he said before he said it. He might not say much, but I wanted to hear what he had to say.

And last but not least, there was North. He smirked as he formally introduced himself and apologized once again for "nearly killing [me] earlier". With the last introduction, I slouched back into my seat. It was kind of intimidating. They were all watching me, waiting for some sort of reaction on my part but I wasn't sure what that was. I just giggled to myself, shook my head a little and looked back at them, "It's nice to meet you all. Thanks for letting me join you." And that was all it took. Chatter started up again, and I think I just made nine new, amazingly gorgeous friends.

I never wanted to leave this airport.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Oy! I'm fucking bored. Let's do something." Gabe wasn't taking the wait very patiently. Currently, he was slumped in his seat, with his head thrown back against the seat in pure exasperation. Nathan and Kota, who were currently talking quietly to each other, looked over and rolled their eyes. Apparently, this was a normal thing with Gabe. Several minutes ago the attendant had come back to announce that there was going to be about a one hour wait. I was beginning to see that patience really wasn't one of his virtues. I was absolutely sickened with myself when I found it positively adorable. "I know," he continued, "let's play a game!"

Groans and grumbles were heard round the circle of friends. Obviously, they'd done this before. "No way, Gabe. You always get way out of control and then one of us always ends up paying for it. Sorry dude, no dice. Not after last time." Nathan looked like he was speaking from past experience and the nods of assent from the rest supported that theory. My curiosity piqued. What had happened the last time they got together and played games, and what game could have elicited such a reaction from this dynamic group?

Although the guys were getting a bit restless during the delay (something told me they weren't used to sitting around, waiting) no one was willing to pass the time playing games, at least not if Gabe was in charge. I, on the other hand, was fine waiting for the plane, no matter how long it took. In fact, I was mentally crossing my fingers that it wasn't ever going to be fixed and we'd just have to live here in the airport together- kinda like that character that Tom Hanks had to play in that one movie… what was it called? Oh well. Regardless, I didn't want to leave my new friends. I knew that once I stepped on that plane I would never see them again and I wasn't quite ready to face that reality. In the few minutes that I'd met them, I'd grown to depend on them, in a way. Already, I could feel my heart swelling with love for each and every one of them.

Hesitantly, I chirped up. "I'm in." Wanting to make the best out of every minute that I spent with them, I figured that a game with these boys would show me who they really were, that their true personalities would hopefully come out to play. And even if they didn't, it would be a way to kill some time, regardless of how things turned out.

Gabe whooped and held out his fist, waiting for me to 'bump knuckles' with him. Across the aisle, and to my left, North griped and grumbled while several of the guys chuckled at his obvious unease. Contradictory to their earlier reactions, the group now looked more agreeable to the idea of some organized fun.

"Okay, Mr. Coleman, what are we playing?" Mr. Blackbourne, along with the rest of us, was looking towards Gabriel for some direction.

A smirk crept over Gabe's perfect lips. "We're going to play Truth-or-Dare." He snuck a glance at North while he spoke and started full out laughing before he had even finished.

Luke and Dr. Green started guffawing right away. Luke even going as far to slap his knee a couple of times. "Oh man. The look on your face, Bro." Luke continued to snicker while leaning over onto Gabe, wiping a few errant tears of laughter. "Freaking priceless."

North jumped out of his seat, towering over all of us. "Hell no! Over my dead body are we playing fucking Truth or Dare. Pick something else, or I'm going to sit on the other side of the terminal." I was bursting with questions. What in the heck had gone on the last time they'd hung out? His reaction was a little strong for such a juvenile game. Looking around the group, I noticed that the rest of the boys had joined Sean and Luke in their merriment. At least Kota, Owen and Victor were trying to be polite about it and hid their large grins behind their fists. I hadn't a clue what was going on, but I couldn't help the smile that flirted across my lips. Seriously, what had happened? It was obviously hilarious and I was burning with curiosity.

Kota cleared his throat to collect himself, "North sit down. He'll pick something else." He looked pointedly at Gabe then, "Won't you, Gabe?"

Gabe was still laughing but composed himself enough to chastise his friend. "Chill the fuck out, man. We can play something else. Seriously, are you on your period or something? I've never seen you so worked up." A few snickers escaped with that last comment but Gabe and North were staring each other down and seemed to be communicating wordlessly.

North dropped back into his chair with an incensed, "Whatever." Gabe and Luke shared a victorious high-five and Gabe turned his attention to me. "Sang beautiful, have you ever played 'Never Have I Ever'?"

I shook my head in the negative and blushed. Not only had I never played it before, I'd never even heard of it and it seemed that they were all familiar with the past time. I hated to show what a loser I was, especially to all these gorgeous guys. Each and every one of them must have been a part of the popular group in high school- no way would they have fit into any other group. I'm positive not a single one knew what it was like to be teased, let alone ignored completely like I had been. Friends, parties, dating… I knew nothing of these other than what I was able to read about in books.

"Awesome." Gabe looked excited by my response. "It's a great way to get to know people, so this should be fun… for all of us." Once again, a devilish smirk broke over Gabriel's face. If I was being honest, it made me a little nervous. What could possibly make him smirk like that?

"So Sang. Here's how we play." Gabe's bright blue eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Everyone has to hold up both of their hands, with all their fingers up. The point of the game is to keep as many fingers up as possible. We each take a turn saying 'Never Have I Eve' and then say something we've never done. For instance, 'Never Have I Ever flown on a plane'. Now everyone who has actually flown on a plane has to put a finger down. First person to drop all their fingers is the loser and has to do a dare determined collectively by the rest of the group. You with me so far?" Gabe paused to make sure that I understood the rules of the game. It sounded pretty straight forward. The goal was to try and be the last man standing, so to speak… or at least not be the first one out.

"I got it. Seems pretty easy." I smiled to show my enthusiasm.

"But here's the catch. You can say things to purposefully call people out. For instance, I could say 'Never Have I Ever worn lipstick' which I haven't. BUT, I know that Nathan has. Now he has to put his finger down and we all know that he's worn lipstick!" My head snapped to look at Nathan and I noticed that his cheeks had tinted pink. It was positively endearing.

"Of course you know I worse lipstick you ass, you gave me that dare. And it was never supposed to leave the group. Or don't you remember that part?!" Poor Nathan. He sounded, and looked, really embarrassed.

Gabe just shrugged his shoulders. "And I can call myself out, if I don't care about it, just to oust someone else. For instance, I could say 'Never Have I Ever worn a dress' even though I have. So, I'd have to put one of my own fingers down but I know that Luke has worn a dress as well and now he'd have to put a finger down, too. See what I mean? Now everyone knows that he and I have both worn dresses, and Nathan likes to wear lipstick." He winked at me, making my insides flutter. "Fun, right!?" His face was so open and eager; I couldn't have disagreed with him if I'd wanted to.

"Not cool, man! That was a dare, and you know it!" Luke didn't seem thrilled that Gabe had called him out like that. I just giggled in response and once again, the guys erupted in laughter. These boys were hilarious and so much fun. As much as they teased and poked and prodded, you could see that they truly cared deeply for one another.

"Ok, let's do it." I was pretty confident in my odds. I hadn't been anywhere to done much of anything so chances were I was going to be ok. Besides, these boys were competitive. They'd take each other out first chance they got. I smirked with that thought. I wouldn't have to do much more than sit back and watch the show.

"Alright, let's just start with one hand and I'll go first, since this was my idea." Gabe was still smiling. "Never Have I Ever… been so piss drunk that I've removed my clothing." A mixture of laughter and chagrin passed through the group as Sean, Luke, Silas and Nathan all had to put a finger down. I tried muffling my giggles, not wanting to embarrass anyone further. Sean beamed proudly. "It was worth it. Good times were had by all, I assure you." He looked at me and waggled his eyes brows. Booming laughter erupted all around.

"Ok, ok. Me next." Luke seemed to be thinking really hard. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Never Have I Ever… shot someone in the hind-end with a dart gun." Instantly, everyone turned to look at Victor, who had remained fairly silent up until this point, and snickered. He just glared and Luke while lowering a finger. When he noticed me watching him, he blushed slightly and ducked his head. Now there was a story I needed to ask about later. When he didn't think I was looking, Kota elbowed Victor in the ribs, telling him without words not to worry about it.

"Tough break, Vic. Don't worry. We'll get them back." Nathan was beaming. "Never Have I Ever kissed another guy." Everyone, and I mean everyone started laughing uproariously when both Luke and Gabe lowered a finger, blushing furiously, refusing to look at each other.

"Ok, I can't NOT ask about that one." I was too curious not to ask. "What's the story behind that one?"

"Well, cupcake" Luke reluctantly started, "it began with a whole lot of alcohol and ended with the mother of all hangovers. What happened in between, well, we don't really like to talk about it." He shifted uncomfortably. "Thanks Nate." Luke muttered.

"No problem, man. Anytime." Nathan was all too happy with himself. Everyone turned toward Victor as he took his turn.

"Never Have I Ever lived in a foreign country." I looked around and watched as Silas and North each lowered one of their fingers. I felt like I needed to be writing things down. How else was I going to remember to ask them to explain themselves.

"Awww man. That was too easy! What a waste, Morgan." Luke was totally put out that no one was called out during that round. Victor just shrugged his shoulders. But I was grateful for those types of questions because it helped to give me a peek into who these boys were.

Next it was Kota's turn. Right away he started laughing, "Never Have I Ever… nearly burned down a house." Everyone joined in and looked toward Gabe who just rolled his eyes and lowered another finger. "Shit Kota, how many times am I going to have to say I'm sorry! It was an accident!" I giggled once again.

Mr. Blackbourne cleared his throat, "Never Have I Ever stolen another kids' lunch money." He was chuckling by the end and all the boys except Sean, Silas and North all lowered a finger. This completely threw me off. They just didn't seem like the type of guys to do such a thing.

Kota saw my confusion and clarified, "We were stealing it back. A bully at school was stealing from all the kids and we" he nodded to everyone who'd dropped a finger, "decided to stand up to him and get everything back." Before I could even ask, he said, "It was clear back in elementary school and it was kind of how our little group formed. We've been together ever since- well mostly." I just smiled. That sounded more like them. Hero's. It made much more sense.

"Alright, alright. Enough sap. My turn." Dr. Green rubbed his hands together rapidly as if trying to warm his hands. His smile hinted at the mischief that lay underneath. "Never Have I Ever gone skinny dipping." I was shocked when every single one of them lowered their fingers. My face flushed crimson just thinking about it, thinking about them- any of them, swimming naked. My brain threatened to explode at just the thought. It was too much. "Darn." Sean interrupted my lusty thoughts. "I was hoping that you would have had to lower a finger, Miss Sang. So far, you're the only one with all their fingers still up." I didn't think it was possible for my face to get any more red than it already was, but it sure made one heck of an effort. I could actually feel the heat radiating off of me. Gabe reached around and gave me a side hug. "Don't worry about it, Beautiful. Doc likes to tease. He's just a big flirt. Don't pay attention to anything he says." When Sean caught me looking, he winked cheekily, proving Gabriel's words.

Silas was next. "Ok. I've got it. Never Have I Ever painted my nails." Everyone looked at me, obviously expecting me to lower a finger, but I just shrugged my shoulders and smiled. "Seriously, aggele? Never? Aren't all girls supposed to do that kind of shit?"

"Sorry Silas. I was never allowed to wear makeup or paint my nails. Wearing makeup was easier to hide than colored nails." I watched out of the corner of my eye as Kota and Mr. Blackbourne glanced at each other and seemed to do that silent communication thing. I'm not sure why but it made me a little uneasy. Silas' question had thrown me off guard and it surprised me how easily he pulled the truth from me. If I wasn't careful, I just might let my whole sob story leak out and I wasn't looking for their sympathy. I was brought back to the present from Nathan and Victor's snickering. Evidently, while I had been spacing out, Gabriel had lowered another finger and subsequently was the first man out.

"Aw shit. I can't believe it. You jerks did that on purpose!" Gabe was pouting and I couldn't help but laugh right along with the rest of them. "Fuck it. Oh well… North you might as well take your turn. And make it a good one."

We all looked toward North and waited. Looking directly at me North said, "Never Have I Ever… believed in love at first sight." Without glancing away, North slowly lowered a finger. His gaze was too intense and I had to look away. Breaking his stare I skimmed over our little group and noticed that they were all looking at me, and every single one of them had lowered another finger… including Gabe who had raised his other hand in order to do so.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Instantly, my cheeks flushed and I ducked my head to try and hide the flames that were surely bursting from my face. Reluctantly, I lowered my index finger. When I peeked up from under my lashes, I noticed that while some of the boys were smiling at me, several of the boys scowling at each other. What did that mean?

Mr. Blackbourne cleared his throat, breaking the obvious tension that was growing amongst our little group. "Gentlemen, how about we go and get something to eat? We still have about 40 minutes until we can board the plane and the lunch hour falls while we're in flight." He started to rise out of his seat as if his was the final say, the others joining him without question. But, I hadn't had a chance to ask my question. It wasn't really all that important, but I still wanted a turn for the first game that I'd ever played.

Mustering my courage, I squeaked out the words. "What about me? I still haven't had my turn." All eyes were on me, and more than one of the guys smiled in encouragement. Owen's eyes flashed towards my own and a tiny smiled pulled at his lips. Slowly he sat back down and raised his hand once again, indicating towards the others that they should do the same. All eyes were on me, and started to second guess my decision. Was it really important that I had a chance? I mean really, Gabe was already out. Why did I need to take a turn? Suddenly, it seemed ridiculous that I'd even opened my mouth.

Seeming to notice my hesitancy, Gabe looked over at me and smiled. Playfully, he popped me on the thigh while encouraging me to speak up. "Let's hear it beautiful. Do your worst."

Oh crap. It wasn't that great of a question, but it was still something that I wanted to know. What if they laughed at me? What if they thought I was stupid for asking? My heart fluttered in my chest.

"Go ahead, Aggele, ask us." Silas urged me on.

"Yeah, Sang. No worries. Go for it." Kota smiled at me from across our little circle.

"Ummm..." I poked at my bottom lip in my nervousness. I took a steadying breath. _Come on, Sang. Big girl panties, remember?_ "Never Have I Ever… been in a serious relationship?" It came out almost as a question. I was so nervous about their responses at my forward question that I nearly slammed my eyes shut, not wanting to see something I wasn't ready for. Smiles danced along their faces as they watched me fidget. Uncomfortable at the thoughts my question hinted at, I couldn't seem to remain still.

For reasons I was afraid to admit, I was immensely pleased when no one dropped their finger. Once again, I ducked my head, biting my lip when a smile threatened to take over and a giggle threatened to escape. Honestly, I didn't want them to know how happy I was at this small revelation. And against my struggles, a tiny giggled pushed its way out from between my pressed lips. When I snuck a glance around the group, it seemed as if I wasn't the only one who was trying to keep my feelings contained, as several of the guys were giggling along with me and all of them were smiling, eyes twinkling with their happiness.

"Hey now, none of that little Miss." Sean pretended to scold, shaking a finger in my direction. "We need to go get something to eat, and I don't want to have to save any lives today if someone chokes. It's my day off, after all." He winked to indicate his teasing. And as adorable as that wink was, I couldn't get over his words. Holy. Crap.

"Y-y-you're actually a doctor?!" I think I was actually in shock. "A real doctor? Like operation rooms, hospitals, blood and guts, casts and stitches… THAT kind of doctor?" I should have been embarrassed at my behavior, but I was astonished with his revelation. Sean just smiled at me as the group moved on around us, picking up their things and getting ready to go eat. He moved closer to me as he spoke, ducking around the flying arms and bags. "Sure am, cupcake. What did you think the 'Dr.' stood for in Dr. Sean Green? Hmmm?" Ever so slowly Sean's fingers danced along my cheeks, tenderly tracing over the edges of my bruising. I recognized his touch for what it was. It didn't matter if he was Doctor Green for the moment, Sean's touch sent tingles flickering along my skin, igniting a fire deep within. I couldn't speak. For just a brief moment, his eyes flashed in anger. He knew that my injuries weren't an accident and I wasn't much of a liar, so I didn't even make an attempt. "Sweet, sweet Sang." His whispers were reverent somehow. "What happened to you?"

Before I could lift my finger towards my bottom lip, a strong, warm hang enfolded mine. Turning towards its owner, I found Nathan smiling warmly down at me. "Come on, Sang. Let's go get something to eat. I'm starved." He had picked up my bag for me, and tugged on my hand to lead me out of the waiting area.

I watched all the guys as we traveled together. Nathan still held my hand as we walked, and we formed the unofficial nucleus of the group. The others walked around us, almost creating some sort of barrier between us and the outside. I don't think that they did it on purpose, but it was highly amusing. What did they think they were protecting us from? Nathan was pure power and his muscles just screamed 'don't mess with me'. I'm sure that he would be able to take any challenger down. Were they acting this way because of me? _For_ me? It wasn't possible. Things like that didn't happen to me. I shook my head a little, in disbelief.

At my left, Victor asked me where I would like to eat as we walked. All conversation hushed around me, as they all waited for me to respond. I nibbled my bottom lip in uncertainty. Truly, I wasn't hungry. My body, used to enduring lengthy bouts between meals, was still full from my half eaten sandwich from earlier. "Ummm…" Using my free hand, I reached toward my lip but once again, Nathan was faster. Gently, he grasped my hand, pulling it away from my mouth.

"Don't do that little Peanut. You have nothing to worry about with us." Glancing over at Nathan, I could see that he spoke with nothing but sincerity. Timidly, I grinned to show my appreciation. I loved that these boys felt comfortable enough with me to use these terms of endearment- it warmed places within me that I didn't know were even cold. Minute by minute these boys were worming their way through the cracks in the walls I'd long ago built around my heart.

"I'm not hungry. I ate just before I sat down with you guys. Eat where you want." They could have led me anywhere, and I was sure I would follow. Already I was struggling with our separation that was rapidly approaching.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

By nearly unanimous vote, the guys decided on pizza and after ordering we sat down in the back corner of the restaurant. It seemed as if the boys hung back, waiting for me to pick my seat and as soon as I did it was like a free-for-all. They nearly shoved each other out of the way to get a spot close to, if not next to, me. It was rather amusing. "Oy! Move over! I call dibs to sit next to Sang." Gabriel was in the middle of elbowing past North and Silas.

"No way jerk-face! You already got to sit next to her. It's my turn. Right, Cupcake?" Luke turned to me with the most hopeful look on his face and I didn't have the heart to disappoint him. I smiled and nodded at him and he whooped in delight, plopping down in the chair next to me and draping his arm across the back of my seat.

Before anyone had a chance to claim the other seat, Kota slid deliberately into the seat on my left. The look on his face dared anyone to challenge him. I turned to watch him as he sat down and when I caught his eye, Kota blushed adorably- a slight smirk dancing across his lips.

Working together the guys gathered a couple more tables and several more chairs so that we could all sit down together. By the time we had ourselves situated, their order was being carried out.

Amongst any other group, I would have thought that six large pizzas were more than excessive but with the amount of enthusiasm that these guys dug into those pies, I was worried there might not be enough. I watched them with rapt fascination, and my mouth might have hung open slightly in shock. On my left, Kota chuckled at my surprise. "You better grab a couple pieces now while you can, Sang. In this group, its 'survival of the fittest' at meal times- if you don't grab something fast enough, chances are you'll starve." He smiled as he spoke and indicated with his head that I should grab a slice of pizza quick.

"That's ok, Kota. I'm really not hungry. I had a sandwich earlier." When I looked back at the group, several of them were frowning slightly in my direction.

Dr. Green was one of them. "Sweetheart, I think you should eat. You threw most of it away… Yes, I was watching." My mouth popped open in embarrassment with his confession. Why was Sean bringing this up in front of everyone? "That couldn't have filled you up. Don't make me worry about you. Eat. Please." By this point everyone was watching me, and I'm sure that my face was the same color as the sauce on the pizza.

"Yeah," Luke interjected. "You could stand to eat a few pieces of pizza." His beatific face told me that he was only teasing and he reached over and poked me in the ribs. Without thinking, I let out a tiny yelp and clutched at my ribs, bending over slightly to try and ease the flashes of pain rippling across my ribcage. Silence descended upon the table. As soon as the throbbing returned to a near unnoticeable level, I was able to open my eyes and lift my head- meeting Luke's horror stricken face. He looked as if he had seen a ghost, or someone had kicked his puppy, or crushed his most treasured dreams… or maybe all three at once. Was it too much to hope that no one else had noticed my slip up? I had been so good up until this point. Tentatively, I peeked around the table, gauging the reactions of the others. It appeared that they had all seen the same thing that Luke had. Their faces were a sea of shock, concern and raw anger. Almost unconsciously they had all shifted closer towards me, as if trying to put themselves between me and whatever invisible force threatened my well-being.

"Oh crap. Sang. I am SO sorry. I didn't think." Luke whispered his apology as his hands fluttered around me, almost as if Luke was trying to erase what he had done. Unable to speak just yet, I shook my head, telling him not to worry. It was an accident, I knew that.

"What the fuck was that, Sang?" North's anger exploded. "What the hell was that?!" The way that his broad chest rose and fell with his rapid breaths told me that he was barely restraining himself. His eyes begged answers from me that I wasn't sure I was prepared to give.

"Miss Sorenson, is everything ok?" Owen's placid demeanor didn't mask the concern in his voice. Outwardly, he appeared to be the epitome of cool and collected. But the burning curiosity flashing in his steel grey eyes contradicted his calm exterior.

"Sang." Kota placed his hand on my knee, demanding my attention. "Are you ok? What happened to you? Tell me. Please." I couldn't bear the intensity of his gaze and looked away before I cracked. If I told them the things they wanted to hear, what happened then? Certainly I'd lose them once they saw how broken I was. Looking at the clock I calculated how much longer I had with this amazing group of guys. Did I really want to ruin what little time I had left by dragging them into my troubles?

As I returned my observations to the group around me, I made eye contact with Victor. "Please, Princess. Let us help." His voice was pleading and sincere. "You can tell us anything. We aren't going anywhere." The others nodded in solidarity.

Steeling myself with a deep breath, I decided that I could share just enough to let them know that I had been hurt in the past, but I was ok now. My finger wandered back up to worry my bottom lip. I was nervous to ruin such a good thing. But, if they happened to live in Jacksonville, maybe I'd have the chance to see them again. I didn't want friendships based on lies. I wanted them to trust me, and I wanted to trust them in return. I'd take the leap of faith and give them a few crumbs to nibble on.

"I just- I don't-" I struggled to find the right words, "I'm worried what you'll think about me if I tell you."

It was Silas who spoke up, assuring me that I was safe. "Aggele. Little one. You can trust us. It'll be ok."

Tenderly, Luke wrapped his arm around me. "Yeah, Cupcake. We've been watching you. We know something's wrong- that someone's hurt you. But we can't help you, if you don't tell us what's happened."

"You know? B-but HOW? I didn't know any of you before today!" I was slightly panicked. I was a private person by nature and didn't like people knowing my secrets. I thought I'd masked my injuries pretty well- apparently I was wrong.

"It's easy to see, when you know what to look for." Nathan spoke softly. He seemed to think on something for a moment before asking, "Was it a guy?"

"What!? NO!" I nearly shouted in my insistence. "I've never even had a boyfriend before." The thought was nearly laughable. Weren't they paying attention during our game earlier? Invisible was my M.O. In order to have a boyfriend, a boy had to notice you. Outside of my abusive Step-Mother and neglectful Father, no one noticed me. Not until today.

I blew out the breath I'd been holding. Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I started from the beginning.

I told them about my Dad and how he'd abandoned us. About my Step-Mother and the recent escalation of her violent punishments (which caused cursing and muttering from a majority of the guys). About my horrid sister, Marie and all the stealing she'd done. I told them of my struggle to save money so that I could finally one day escape the nightmare that I'd, up until early this morning, called my life. How I was never allowed any friends, how I was told over and over how horrible people in the world were and to stay away. How up until two years ago I'd been home schooled and responsible for my own education. That despite my struggles I'd managed to remain at the top of my class. I told them how I wasn't allowed to talk to boys, let alone date them. How I wasn't allowed to get my license because that was one less aspect of my life my evil Step-Mother would have been able to control. Driving meant freedom, and prisoners weren't free.

"But Sang," Victor looked confused. "How did you buy a plane ticket if you don't have a license?"

Heat blossomed across my face. I was hoping no one would have caught that. "Well," once again my finger made its way toward my mouth, "IboughtafakeIDfromagirlatschool." I couldn't look at any of them after spewing my confession. It was so embarrassing. Normally, I was a straight laced girl. Always following the rules and _especially_ the law. But, I'd wanted to be prepared in case of an emergency- for something like today. I didn't have a birth certificate. According to records, I didn't exist and I couldn't get a real ID without bringing down the authorities on my parents. That was another mess, for another day. I was just glad that it was believable and that the attendant and security hadn't known any better.

Silence descended on our group once again. The looks they shared with one another spoke of things that I wasn't privy to understand. It was amazing that because they were so close, they were able to say things to one another using only their eyes and facial expressions. I was ashamed to admit how jealous I was of their relationship. I wanted to be a part of something like that.

Mr. Blackbourne saw my curious stares and cleared his throat, garnering the guys' attention. "Miss Sorenson, please continue. What finally pushed you to take action? What, specifically, brought you here?"

And so I told them. About Mommy Dearest attacking me in the kitchen, and how, by pure luck I knocked her out on the stairs. How I was so scared for my life that I grabbed everything I could and just ran- sitting on that bus for hours just waiting for some hint at what to do next. How Mark, the bus driver, basically led me to the airport and how Megan, the attendant, chose my final destination. As I spoke, the boys listened. It was as if they couldn't take their eyes off me. I watched as multiple emotions flashed across their faces. Sadness, horror and fury; sympathy, compassion and even a little pride.

At different points during my confession, the guys around me reached out to touch me in some way. A couple of them, one if which I was sure was Silas, had pressed their feet against mine, showing me their support and comforting me in whatever way they could. It was heart-stoppingly sweet.

"Baby. What are you going to do once you get to Jacksonville? Do you even have somewhere to stay?" North seemed put out at my lack of forethought.

I scrunched up my face, not wanting to answer. I wasn't stupid, I'd just been so desperate to leave that little things like having a place to stay didn't seem so important at the time. "No, North, I don't." He didn't seem thrilled by my answer. In fact, none of them did. I shrugged my shoulders in an attempt at nonchalance. "But that doesn't matter so much. I have to have faith that things will work out. Finding a temporary place should be easy enough, and then I'll look for a job and hopefully find a way to support myself. Maybe I'll even have a shot at college one day. It doesn't matter what I find in Jacksonville. Anything will be better than what I've had in Charleston." My comments brought on another round of their silent communication.

"Miss Sorenson." Once again Mr. Blackbourne was in full command. "When we get to Jacksonville, I promise you we'll do everything in our power to help get you on your feet." My heart fluttered at his words; I didn't dare to dream. His words filled me with so much hope. It meant that I'd see them again, that I'd have a connection to them past this airport. I'd have a chance at a real life.

"Thank you." It was the only reply I could muster.

After we finished eating, the boys cleaned up all our garbage and put the tables and chairs back in their proper places. Everyone shifted around picking up their bags, and fighting over who would get to carry mine. I wouldn't have ever admitted it out loud, but I liked that they all wanted to help. It was incredibly sweet. As we stepped out into the terminal, Luke halted us in our tracks. "Hey wait! What about Gabe's punishment? He lost the game, right? So what are we going to make him do?"

Gabe scowled. "Thanks a lot, you ass. I was hoping you'd all have forgotten by now."

Everyone else started laughing at Gabe's pouting. "Nice try, dude. But we wouldn't ever forget a chance to humiliate you!" Luke almost get the words out he was laughing so hard.

"Well, out with it then. Let's get this shit over with." Gabe rolled his eyes and stood waiting with his hands on his hips. The rest of us gathered in a circle, putting our heads together to plot.

"I think we should make him wear some makeup. You have some in your bag, don't you Sang?" Dr. Green whispered, ensuring Gabe's surprise. I nodded, giddy with the potential of our dare.

Nathan was chuckling. "Sweet. This'll totally get him back for all the crap he's made us do over the years. Let's do it." We all turned around and faced Gabriel. Nathan was the one to deal out the punishment. "Ok Coleman. Here's the deal. You have to let one of us to put some of Sang's makeup on you, and you have to wear it until we get to Jacksonville." The guys erupted into hysterical laughter at the incredulous look on Gabe's face.

"No way, you fuckers! That's too far. Do you see all the people here? Do you know what they'll think?! Holy shit. You guys suck." I almost felt bad for Gabe. It would be really embarrassing for a guy to wear makeup in a public place like this and all his friends were laughing at him, enjoying his future humiliation. "Fine." Gabe smirked. "But Sang is the one who gets to put it on." Gabe shot me a wink as I dug the little amount of makeup I had out of my bag, on Victor's shoulder.

"Don't go easy on him, Princess. Gabe's relentless when it comes to dares." Victor coached me in hushed tones. Our close proximity allowed him to lean in close, his lips grazing my ear as he spoke. It sent shivers down my spine.

Gabe wiggled his eyebrows flirtatiously as I approached him. Biting my bottom lip, I took out the mascara, eye shadow and tinted lip gloss that I had bought earlier this morning. "What do you want me to start with?" I didn't want Gabe to be mad at me, so I was trying to play nice.

"Just do whatever, sweetheart. I'm man enough to handle it all." His confidence was something to be admired. The guys whooped and whistled as I decorated Gabriel's angelic face. It was nerve wracking knowing that everyone was watching me. Even strangers would stop to see what we were up to. I was just grateful that I managed a steady hand when I applied the mascara. I would have felt horrible if I'd poked him in the eye. After I put on the lip gloss, I showed Gabe how to press his lips together to distribute the shine all over his lips. Gabe showed that he could be a good sport and batted his eyelashes and made kissy faces. "How 'bout it Sang? Do I look pretty? Oh so pretty?" Channeling his inner-Maria, Gabe burst out into a rendition of "I Feel Pretty", pulling me into an upbeat waltz as he made his way towards our gate. The rest followed shaking their heads and laughing with each step.

Returning with minutes to spare, everyone dug through their belongings to pull out their tickets. Again, there seemed to be a clamor to see where I was sitting and everyone was asking to sit next to me. I was slightly overwhelmed. Not wanting to upset anyone, I was making them choose. It looked like a heated game of rock-paper-scissors was starting when there was a small commotion at the desk. A new attendant made his way up to the desk, grabbing Megan and whispering something that didn't make her happy. She left the desk, smiling softly when she noticed I was watching. Returning my gaze back to the group, I noticed that Mr. Blackbourne and Kota had also noticed what had happened between the attendants and were doing that wordless conversation thing again. What did that mean?

My musing were interrupted by the new flight attendant's announcement. "Attention ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for flying with us today. We apologize for the delay but are happy to announce that we are now boarding flight 2319 to Jacksonville, FL. Our flight is unusually empty today so we will open boarding to all passengers. Thank you."

For some unknown reason, my heart began to pound. I was frozen in place and I couldn't make them move. Several of the boys began to walk away, before realizing that I wasn't following.

"Come on, Peanut. Time to go." Nathan reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards check-in point. "It'll be ok, beautiful."

I tried to swallow my fear, but it had lodged in my throat. "Remember when we were playing that game?" They all nodded their heads. It really was a stupid question. It was barely an hour ago. "Well… never have I ever flown on a plane before." I was sure they were going to laugh, but their reaction was completely opposite of what I had been expecting. Immediately they closed in on me, rubbing my back and arms, stroking my cheeks and tugging on my hair. Repeatedly reassuring me that everything was going to be ok, and that they were there for me.

North, who was on my right, he reached around, placing his strong hand on my lower back. "Let's go, Baby girl. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you." When I looked up at him, North's gaze was so open and his small smile so genuine that I had no choice but to believe him. I took a deep breath and handed my ticket over to be scanned by the attendant. Nathan and North each grabbed my hand and before I knew it, we were walking through the gate and down the jet-way. And I knew, that my life was never, EVER going to be the same again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

We had the entire plane to ourselves. Even though it was my first time on a plane, I knew that it was rare- if not unheard of. Owen was leading the group down the aisle, and even though they all had tickets for first class, he passed them up making his way toward the mid-back end of the plane. It was towards the back and right near the exit. Personally, I didn't care where we sat, as long as it was all together.

Owen, Sean and then Kota filed into the exit row on the left after loading their belongings into the overhead compartments. Nathan led the way into the row in front of them, pulling me into the middle and North in the aisle seat next to mine. Across the aisle from us, Victor took the window seat and Silas left a seat in between them, taking the aisle seat. In front of us, Luke took the window seat and Gabe plopped down in front of me. It made me giddy thinking that I was surrounded on all sides by these amazing guys. I almost needed someone to pinch me, surely I was dreaming.

The others chatted away, talking amongst themselves about what they were going to do first once they reached Jacksonville. Most of what I caught involved food. Typical boys. I, on the other hand, felt like I was going to vomit.

Without breaking conversation, Nathan reached for my hand and gave it a little squeeze. It was so sweet and helped to lessen my anxiety just a bit. I made sure to squeeze back, showing him I appreciated his efforts and he turned from his conversation and gave me a small smile.

North was leaning across the aisle speaking with Silas in a foreign language that sounded like it might be Greek, but I wasn't sure. North's hand had found its way to rest on my knee- I hadn't even noticed that it was shaking until he'd placed his hand there. North caressed it a bit, calming me even more.

Before I could freak out even more, the flight attendant made his way toward the front of the plane. I made sure to pay strict attention to every word in his safety speech. Buckled seat belt? Check. Exits? Located. Seat cushions that double as flotation devices? I prayed that we wouldn't need those. Oxygen masks? Put mine on first before helping anyone else, check.

Making sure to remind us that due to the short flight, a beverage service wouldn't be offered, he thanked us for flying with 'them' and disappeared. The plane jerked into motion, and my free hand latched onto the armrest with a vengeance. _Deep breaths, Sang. Big girl panties remember?_

As the pilot maneuvered the aircraft down the runway, his voice crackled to life over the intercom. "Attention passengers. A small tropical storm has formed just off the coast of northern Florida. As a safety precaution, we will be flying out and around the worst of the weather to avoid unnecessary turbulence and maintain optimal flight conditions. We do anticipate some minor bumps during out flight but otherwise it should be smooth skies. We should be landing in Jacksonville at approximately 2:18 p.m. local time. We apologize for any inconveniences and thank you for your understanding."

I think that I might have let out a small squeak during the pilot's announcement. I knew that odds were in my favor, but I couldn't help panicking. As I looked around to check how the others were faring, I noticed they were exchanging odd looks. They really needed to stop doing that. I tried making eye contact with someone, anyone but whenever they noticed my gaze, I was given a tight smile and nod of unconvincing reassurance. I wanted to call them on it, but was afraid to anger anyone.

An arm reached through the seats, offering a stick of gum. "Sang, sweetheart. Here, chew on this. It will help your ears pop as we reach elevation." I was too scared to turn around, but I was pretty sure it was Sean who had thoughtfully proffered the tiny mint gift. I took it, eager to do anything to take my mind of the impending takeoff.

Suddenly the plane took a sharp corner and came to an abrupt stop. I almost turned to North to ask if something was wrong, but the whirring of the engines drowned out any and all conversation in the cabin. The level of noise was intimidating. My heart was attempting to hammer its way from my heaving chest and my pulse was pounding. I couldn't shake this feeling of dread. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying to any god who would listen. _Please let us reach Jacksonville safely._

Without warning, the plane jetted forward. I was pressed into my seat, not expecting the sheer force and extreme angle of the takeoff. I kept my eyes closed and vigorously attacked the piece of gum between my teeth, waiting for the plane to level out. North and Nathan gripped my hands, silently providing their support. Before long, the seatbelt light chimed, indicating we had reached cruising altitude and we were free to move about the cabin. I thought I was going to cry out of sheer joy. Finally, I could relax… until it was time to land, but I wouldn't worry about that now. Upon opening my eyes, I realized that I was the only one still in my seatbelt. Everyone had turned to face in my direction, including Gabe and Luke who were turned around and kneeling in their seats, grinning like a couple of loons.

"That wasn't so bad, was it Sweet Pea?" Gabriel was holding back his laughter. I feigned anger and pretended to scowl. "Aw, don't be like that, Sang. I can't live knowing you're mad at me." He reached out and playfully tugged on a piece of my hair.

"Come sit up here with us, Cupcake." Luke nearly toppled over the seats trying to reach down and unbuckle my seat belt. But Nathan was quicker. He smacked Luke's hand out of the way and deftly unlatched the buckle, flipped up the arm rest and lifted me onto his lap.

"No way, Bro. My little Peanut wants to sit here and watch out the window with me. Right, Sang?" I couldn't form any words. Nathan's strong hands were resting on my thighs, and my stomach fluttered as his fingers softly brushed along my skin. As much fun as it would be to sit by Luke and Gabriel, I couldn't find it anywhere in me to move from the comfort of Nathan's lap.

Luke pretended to pout. "No fair. You have to share her with the rest of us. No hogging."

"Sang will stay in her seat. Just because the seat belt light went off doesn't mean you'll be dragging her all over the fucking cabin. Stop your bitching and sit down." North wasn't playing. He reached over and plucked me off of Nathan's lap and returned me to my seat, making sure to fasten my seatbelt snuggly across my lap.

Everyone but North and I burst into laughter. North scowled, grumbling something about "safety" and "dumbasses".

Still chuckling, Sean leaned over my seat and ruffled my hair to grab my attention. "Miss Sang, would you be so kind as to join me near the back of the plane?" When he saw the look of confusion on my face, Sean's smile widened. "Strictly professional reasons, I assure you. I'd like to check out your injuries if you'll allow it." I glanced at North, asking him if it was ok. He nodded and helped me out of my seat and into the aisle. "Wonderful. Follow me please."

At first I thought that Dr. Green was going to lead me into the bathroom, and I couldn't help but be a little apprehensive. But I needn't have worried. Sean merely led me to the back of the plane, and into the last row, where he lifted the armrests and asked me to take a seat. He crouched in the aisle, bringing himself eyelevel with me. "Sweet Sang. I was hoping that you'd let me look at your ribs. From what you've described of your Mother's abuse and your reaction when Luke poked you, I'm concerned that your ribs may be fractured. Would you mind?" I nibbled on and poked at my bottom lip in indecision. "There really isn't much I can do right now, but I'd at least like to know how things look and listen to see if everything sounds ok." I hadn't noticed it before, but he pulled a stethoscope from around his neck smiling sheepishly. "Whaddya say? Mind if I play doctor for a few minutes?" Sean's smile was positively angelic and I couldn't say no.

"That'd be fine. What do you need me to do?"

I didn't think it was possible, but Sean's smile grew even bigger. "Not much. I just need you to take off your sweatshirt and take seat for now so that I can listen to your heart and lungs. Sound ok?" I nodded before pulling my favorite pink hoodie off. My tank top had pulled up a bit, revealing some of my stomach and I rushed to pull it back down before Sean noticed. When I peeked up to see if he'd noticed he was busy playing with his stethoscope and if it weren't for the slight blush on his cheeks I might have thought I'd gotten away with the accidental peep show. Seriously, could I be any more awkward? Quickly, I sat down before I could make a bigger fool of myself, hanging my head in shame.

When I looked up, Sean was watching me while a warm smile. "You ready for this, Sweetheart?" I nodded my head trying not to burst into flames. "Good. If you're a good little patient, I promise to give you a treat when we're done." He waggled his eyebrows flirtatiously. Flames be damned- my face must be the brightest red by now. Sean only chuckled at my embarrassment; his eyes twinkled with his laughter. "I'm just teasing you, Sang. Lighten up, ok?" His hand landed on my knee and squeezed. Little did he know, but that wasn't helping.

Sean put the ends of the stethoscope in his ear and put the other end over my heart. After several moments of quiet, he seemed satisfied and moved the stethoscope around towards my back, telling me to take a few deep breaths before pulling the device away from me and grinning. "Everything sounds good. It doesn't sound like your lungs have been punctured, so that's relieving. Now I just need you to lie down." He was busy pulling up the arm rests around us as he spoke. Sean patted the seats and hesitantly I lowered myself across the row of seats. I drummed my fingers on the cushions, nervous for what came next.

Clearing his throat, Sean slowly reached for the bottom of my shirt and started to lift, bring it up so it rested just under my bra line. My heart was hammering in my chest and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. I'm so glad that he wasn't listening to my heart right now- I would have been mortified. Sean didn't say a word for what felt like minutes. What must he be thinking of me? Sean released a heavy breath. "Sang. My hell. What did that woman do to do?" His fingers danced across the sensitive skin of my sides and abdomen. I knew what Sean must be disgusted by what he saw. Multiple bruises covered the expanse of exposed skin. Every color was represented there. From black, blue, reds and purple to several shades of greens and yellows. It was a mess. I was a mess. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the look on his face.

His warm hands roamed over my belly and ribs, pushing on different spots, feeling for injuries or abnormalities, I'm sure. It hurt but I tried not to flinch. I didn't want Sean to feel bad for hurting me. When he reached my injured ribs, he pushed ever so gently and I couldn't hold back the gasp that broke through my pressed lips. "I'm so, so sorry, Sang." Sean had spoken so softly, I had barely heard the words.

"It's ok." My words were hardly a whisper.

"No. No, Sang. It's not ok. But we're here now and we'll keep you safe." Tenderly, he continued his examination and it seemed that he had to force himself not to look up at my face. I, on the other hand, couldn't look away. Once again, their words- his words- gave me hope and I soared with their promise.

Sean pulled my tank top back down and patted my thigh. "Ok Sang. All done." He was a different person than the flirty, fun-loving guy who started this exam. He reached over, grabbing my hands and helped me into a sitting position. "Nothing looks completlely broken, but based upon the amount of pain I'm guessing there's some fracturing. But it's hard to tell without at least an x-ray. For now, just take it easy- lots of rest and no strenuous activities. I'd really like it if you'd go to the hospital when we get to Jacksonville where we can get a complete exam. Would you do that for me? I'll even take you. Please?" These boys must be my kryptonite because I was powerless against them.

I pretended to think it over for a few seconds. "Ok, I'll go.. if you promise to come with me." Shyly, I peeked at Sean, trying to gage his reaction to my condition.

His beaming smile didn't disappoint. "Cross my heart." Sean actually drew an 'x' over his heart with his hand, solidifying his promise. It was adorable and I melted in my seat. He picked up my sweatshirt and reached for my hand, pulling me up from my seat. Sean turned and headed down the aisle, pulling me behind him. When I looked up, remembering the rest of our group, I saw that they were all turned watching us, watching me. My face hadn't quite returned to normal from the last time, and instantly the blood returned. What had these boys, these men, done to me?

The plane jerked suddenly, knocking me off balance and throwing me into Sean. He turned around to help steady me and my face must have shown my fear because Sean was quick to try and calm me down. "It's ok, Sang. Just a little turbulence." He winked at me and I tried to return his smile. "No worries, Sweetie. Come on, let's get back to our seats." He grasped my hand again pulled me back towards the rest of the guys, who greeted my return with enthusiastic smiles.

Gabe and Luke were kneeling in their seats and leaning on the back of their seats, grinning wildly and wiggling their eyebrows at me. Sean guided me into my row and thanked me for being a 'good little patient'. Apparently Gabe and Luke found this positively hilarious and nearly fell out of their seats with their laughter. As I practically crawled over North to get to my seat, the plane shook again, dropping in altitude so quickly my stomach lurched. North and Nathan, and even Gabe and Luke were quick to reach out and help steady me, settling me back into my seat. I tried to hide my shaking, but I don't think I fooled anybody.

I hadn't noticed how dark the cabin had turned while Sean had been examining me. I peeked around Nathan to look out the window. Black clouds were everywhere and lightning flashed far out in the distance. Looking down towards the ocean I noticed that inky surface was churning and white caps tipped the violent waters. The plane shook again, bouncing me in my seat.

Across the aisle, a "Whoa!" broke the sudden silence. I was pretty sure it had been Silas, and it didn't help calm my nerves one iota to know that well-traveled Silas was unsettled by the amount of turbulence we were experiencing. My chest felt tight, and my breaths were too many and too shallow to be effective. I was sure I was experiencing a panic attack. My hands were locked in a death grip on the arm rests at my sides, I was holding so tightly that my hands ached, but I wasn't letting go for anything. North and Nathan each reached for one of my hands in perfect synchronization. Well, I wouldn't have let go for anything else. They each took one of my hands in their own, rubbing my hands between their own, trying to soothe and calm. The plane shuddered again, rocking me in my seat.

"It's ok, Cupcake. Just a bit of turbulence. No big deal, right?" I looked up at Luke incredulously. Was he serious? I looked around at all the others. Why was I the only one freaking out? I just shook my head at him and closed my eyes, willing my heart beats to slow down.

I felt a strong, steady hand smoothing my hair. When I looked up, Owen was leaning over the top my seat. "It's ok, Sang. Remember the pilot said that there was going to be some bumpy patches? It's just rough because of the storm. No big deal. Turbulence is just a part of flying. I've seen much worse. We'll be through it in no time."

Kota was standing and leaning on the back of North's seat. "It's ok, Sang. Turbulence is caused when the plane flies through pockets of air that are made up of two different types of air pressure. You see-"

"Fucking shit, Kota, she doesn't need a meteorology lesson! She's just scared, damn. What's wrong with you?" Gabriel smacked himself in the forehead.

"Maybe if she understood the basic dynamics of what turbulence was, then she wouldn't be scared, Gabe." As he spoke, Kota had reached through the seats and gripped my shoulder. He squeezed me gently, silently lending me his support.

"It's ok. Thank you, Kota, but I know _what_ turbulence is, and what causes it and all that. I've just never experienced it before. First flight, remember?" They all seemed a little shocked at my revelation. "What?" I squirmed a little under their study.

North was the one to break the silence. "Nothing, Baby. We should know not to be shocked by anything that comes out of your mouth by now." He smirked and squeezed my hand a couple of times to let me know he was just teasing me. A few of the guys laughed with his comment, nodding in agreement.

I smiled. These guys had to be some of the most amazing guys that walked the earth. They were all rallied around me, showing me their support. Not a single one of them were making fun of me for my irrational fear of flying. In fact, they were all reaching out to me in one way or another. Whether it was through an actual touch, or with a smile they were each letting me know that they were there for me. Even Victor and Silas were standing in the aisle, close enough I could have reached over and touched one of them if I'd wanted. It was wonderful and frightening all at the same time.

Finally the plane stopped vibrating and bouncing. "See, Princess. All better. Nothing to worry about." Victor was beaming at me and I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. If I never experienced another bump of turbulence again, it would be too soon. I settled myself into my seat and tried to relieve the tension in my muscles. The guys spoke around me, breaking into their own conversations but not returning to their seats. It was as if they wanted me to know they were there but recognized I needed a minute to collect myself and they didn't want to overwhelm me.

Suddenly, the plane dipped in extreme, tossing me out of my seat and sending me crashing back into the armrest, knocking my already damaged ribs. I shouted and hissed in pain, gripping my side in a delayed attempt to protect myself. "Sang!" Shouts of panic and desperation rang out around me.

"I'm ok. I'm ok." I wasn't ok, but I tried to reassure them anyways. I didn't want them freaking out on my behalf. I panted through the pain, trying to ignore the black spot dancing across my vision. I closed mt eyes hoping to make them go away. Next to me, North was frantically righting me in my seat so he could fasten my seatbelt.

"Holy fucking shit, Sang baby. Are you ok?" I could hear the alarm in his voice. "Baby. Baby, look at me." I opened my eyes and wanted to cry at the amount of concern I saw there. "How is your side? You hit that arm rest pretty hard, Sang. Let me see." He didn't give me an opportunity to respond and jerked my shirt up, but before he was able to see anything the plane dipped dangerously once again. This time, I wasn't the only one who was caught off guard. Victor and Silas, who were still standing in the aisle has been thrown back into their row. Luke and Gabe had clutched onto the backs on their seats but had still been knocked around. Behind me, Mr. Blackbourne yelled for everyone to get into their seats and buckle up. He stopped ordering the others around long enough to ask me if was ok and then managed to get himself buckled into his own seat. The plane continued to bump and dip and jolt.

I was officially freaking out and noticing, Nathan reached over and wrapped his strong hand around my own. "It's ok, Peanut. I've got you. I won't let anything happen to you, ok?" And somehow, I knew he was telling me the truth. Nathan would do what he could to keep me safe. On my left, North had a strong grip on my thigh. I knew that he would watch over me as well. The plane dipped again, and I thought I was going to lose my lunch. Without warning, masks and oxygen bags dropped down from the ceiling and immediately I began to panic. North swore and grabbed my mask, making sure to gently place it over my head, pulling the elastics so it was snug. I must have been cracking up because I could only think about how the flight attendant said that North should have put on his own mask first. Still the plane continued to shake. The lights began to flicker and around me and the plane took another violent plunge, before steadying once again. I took a moment to look around, and noticed that a couple of the overhead compartments had popped open. One of the guys' bags was lying askew in the aisle. Unused masks dangled and jostled from the ceiling. Taking another glance around me, I realized that I was the only one who was panicking. The others seemed to be assessing the situation and coming up with plans. I peeked back, through the seat and saw Owen, Sean and Kota in a heated debate but I couldn't decipher what they were actually saying. Noises from the shaking plane prevented their words from reaching me.

Once again, the plane plummeted. I grabbed the hand North had placed on my thigh; I needed to reassure myself that I wasn't alone. I knew I was squeezing too hard, but neither Nathan nor North tried to break my grip. I wanted to cry. Why was this happening? It took me several seconds to realize that the plane wasn't leveling back out. Looking out Nathan's window, I could see the ocean rising towards us at an alarming rate. It was dark as night, though only early afternoon and the rain and lightning were relentless. This was straight out of the Twilight Zone, this couldn't be my life. The lights continued to flicker and cast angry shadows throughout the cabin. Everything was shaking and bouncing. This wasn't right. I caught Nathan's gaze, his was steely determination and I'm sure I looked like the personification of pure terror. There would be no surviving this. We were going to die -I was sure of it. How many times does a plane fall from the sky and people survive? It just doesn't happen. Nathan saw my sudden realization, and shouted at me. "No, Sang. We're going to be ok. We'll make it." I felt the plane level out once again before it plunged ceaselessly toward the Atlantic.

Someone, I think it was Sean, yelled out, "Brace yourselves! Heads down!" North reached over and shoved my head between my legs and told me to stay there, while he and Nathan braced themselves against the seats in front of them. It was only seconds later and the plane violently collided with the waves. I slammed so hard into my seat that the breath was knocked from my body and my vision blacked out and blurred. It was several seconds before I could breathe again, my sight slowly sharpening- but all I could see was darkness. Emergency lights lit up the aisle, but that's all that I could see. My hearing was momentarily knocked into oblivion and I couldn't hear the commotion around me, but I could feel it.

Nathan and North were helping me to sit up in my seat- North scrambling for my seatbelt and Nathan trying to focus my attention. Once I was free of my seat, Nathan pulled me to stand next to him and turned us towards the aisle. Our bags were everywhere. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the cabin. The others had been busy while Nathan and North had worked to get me out of my seat. The exits were opened and Luke, Gabe and Victor were busy gathering our things. It was amazing how calm and collected they all seemed. Sure, we were moments from certain death, but no need to panic, right? Wrong. I was near hysterics and couldn't stop shaking. Nathan was trying to calm me, but nothing he said or did was helping. Not this time.

Silas and Kota were pulling off seat cushions and tossing them at Luke, Gabe and Victor. Sean and Owen were searching the overhead compartments for what I'm sure were life vests.

Owen spoke to the guys while they worked, gathering gear and passing out bright yellow life preservers. "I'm going to go check the cockpit. See if there were any survivors. Everyone put on a vest and get ready to exit." Was I the only one who thought that was a stupid plan? He should be leaving the plane. Suddenly, Mr. B came running back shouting.

"Get out of the plane now! Take what you can and get out. Move, move, move!" When Mr. B spoke, everyone listened. Silas, Luke, Gabe and Victor were the first ones out along with several of our bags. Next went Sean, Kota and North. Owen waited next to the exit, making sure the rest of us made it out safely. Nathan stood behind me and gently coaxed me towards the exit, where I froze. Below me, the guys all shouted at me to jump, that I'd be ok. But I couldn't make myself move. Nathan pulled the strings to inflate our vests.

"Come on Peanut. You can do this. On three." Nathan reached down and once again wrapped his hand around my own. "One." I took a deep breath. I could do this. "Two." I wanted to survive. "Three!" Somehow, we were sailing out of the exit and plunging into the thrashing waves of the Atlantic. The icy water stole my breath and froze my limbs, but I fought my way back to the surface. When I broke through, I turned around to see Mr. Blackbourne was right behind us.

Owen was shouting orders as he jumped. "Get away from the plane, now. As fast as you can! GO!" The guys were a flurry of activity. Nathan pulled me through the water for a few feet before he realized I was an extremely capable swimmer and could handle myself. Owen and Nathan swam beside me, encouraging me to keep going and to swim faster. When we were about 40 feet away from the plane, a massive explosion tore through the air. Before I even had time to realize the plane had exploded, something slammed into me from behind, pushing me under water. The last thing I remember was hoping that none of the guys were hurt before everything faded to black.


End file.
